VCU students may take the test on a walk-in basis. It takes 20-30 minutes to complete a test. Please read the Placement Guidelines below before taking a placement test.

Placement Guidelines

• Students who have completed 3 years or more of study of one foreign language at the high school level have fulfilled the Humanities and Sciences foreign language requirement through the 102 level. Note that some majors in Humanities and Sciences require language through the intermediate (202) or advanced (300) level.
  
  
• Students who plan to continue studying a foreign language they studied in high school (or elsewhere) should take the language placement test to determine the appropriate language class.
  
  
• Native and heritage speakers click here

Placement Test Process

• Placement Tests are administered through the World Studies Media Center, located in Hibbs 425
  
  
• Students must provide a valid VCU Student ID when signing in at the Media Center.
  
  
• If the score clearly places a student in a given class, the student receives a hard copy of their results to be taken to their academic advisor. Undeclared majors please contact University College.
  
  
• Students are encouraged to challenge themselves in their pursuit of foreign language acquisition. If a student feels that his/her placement test results do not adequately reflect acquired skills, the student should make an appointment with the School of World Studies Advising Office to discuss placement.  If necessary, the SWS Advising Office will send the student to a language professor for placement.
  
  
• Requests for exemption from this placement test policy must be submitted in writing to the coordinator of advising in the School of World Studies. Instructors have the right to verify a student’s level of proficiency and make recommendations to the language coordinators and the Director. These guidelines apply to all VCU students (freshmen, continuing and transfer).
  

Native & Heritage Speakers:

• Foreign language courses through the intermediate (205) level are not open to native speakers.
  
  
• With the exception of advanced conversation courses (305, 311) native speakers are automatically eligible for upper level coursework in their respective languages.
  
  
• Heritage speakers and semi-native speakers are strongly encouraged to take the placement test before enrolling for a course to ensure proper skill assessment and placement.
  
  
• Native and heritage speakers of languages other than French, German, Spanish, and Russian may be eligible to have the foreign language requirement waived. Click here for details.

Placement Test Rubric:

World Studies Advising Office : 817 W Franklin, B-16, SWSadvising@vcu.edu, (804) 827-1111

World Studies Media Center : Hibbs Building Rm 424 & 426, abrinckwirth@vcu.edu, (804) 827-1149